Wow. Can i just say AGAIN: askWoolyM. The link is right there, to your left. Just go and start reading. She answers so many good questions that I am always wondering about! I'm sure she can answer some of yours too. I emailed her to tell her what a great service she was providing, and she speedily replied. It's just fantastic, really.

Currently: waiting on an excellent dinner I made to heat up.

Next week people! Next week is the week!! Today in the elevator I suddenly thought I missed it, but then realized it's next week. What is it you ask? Victoria's Secret Fashion Show!! I accidently discovered this last year, as I had not thought much of models with oversized angel wings parading around lingerie in the past. But it really is a very entertaining hour or two of tv. And besides, everything else is reruns anyways, right?

I recently got the new ipod nano as a gift...and BOY is it a step up from my shuffle! Actually, it is several steps up. I'm still not used to it, its my first real ipod. First the space. 4 g's may not seem like much, but..BOY O BOY, its so much more than 512mb! No more deciding which albums are my favorite, and which one i'll have to leave out. And theres even room for podcasts!

Speaking of podcasts, i can WATCH them!! The other day at the airport, i was being a total nerd by watching a free podcast of FCP tips and tricks on my nano. Hooray for being a tech geek! (ok, not really)

And THEN! I can pick which albums i want to listen to! By artist, by album, whatever, I CHOOSE! Again, this may not seem like much if you've had an ipod since the beginning, but coming from Shuffle Land (aka, land of mentally noting what you've put into the shuffle, and then "next next next next next-ing" until you find that song you want), this is HUGE!

I can also load my address book from my computer on my nano? What? You mean have people's information on me when i travel? What? Stop it! But i can't! It keeps going!

A calendar? A clock??? You know how many times i've wanted to know what time it was on the plane but couldn't because the only time i had was on my turned off cell phone?

CRAZY!!!!

It's the little things I tell ya. Theres so much more, but I'm starting to sound like an ipod commercial.
Dinner is calling me, I must go give it some love.

Dear Mervyns and Coles:

What is wrong with you people? Doors open at 4am? Seriously? SERIOUSLY??


In other news: our apt. complex is now officially enrolled in recycling, to begin in 6-8 weeks. Next up, I will conquer the 16th floor suite, and perhaps...THE ENTIRE BUILDING. Muwahahahaha. Stay Tuned.

Dear Milo,

There are reports that you are getting snuggly with Hayden, that dolphin saving cheerleader costar of yours. Sigh. Ok. It's not like I ever really thought the idea of the two of us were in the stars. Really. And honestly, I don't really know Hayden, I'm sure she's a swell girl and all that (even though I cannot tell what all the hubbub is about for the life of me). But I loved the fact that you were with Rory G. And even though I know couples break up and move on...can't you date someone more like Rory than Hayden?? Puh-lease? For the sake of your fans! Not that it's really any of my business.

Sincerely yours,
SH

OMG, i just ran across this great site called askWoollyM. I have made a link to it on your left. Please go and read everything you can there, it's awesome!!!

Coincidentally, today I called my apt. manager to ask her to fix a lightswitch (for the xth time) and also to tell her about FREE LA city recycling for multi family complexes. She was interested and actually said she already looked into some recycling services but the property owners didn't want to pay for anything. In flies SH to the rescue, just in time! Of course, when I emailed the city they said they were backed up, and so we probably won't get this service for a while...but at least it's on its way. Hopefully. Fingers crossed!

Currently listening to: Cranberries. Boy they were great, whatever happened to them??

Sometimes my deep manly voice likes to emerge from a place of hiding, but it usually does so late at night. Once in a while though, it emerges in the day time, much to my chagrin. While my deep manly voice goes great with my manish PJs during the PM, it does nothing for my pretty pretty heels in the AM. It's wrong. All wrong. You know how when you talk you hear yourself one way, and then when you hear your recorded voice, it sounds completely foreign to you? Well, not only is my deep manly voice manly, it is smart too. It knows how to bypass that register where you think you sound fine, and manages to penetrate my ear sounding like my real recorded voice. My manly voice is a real pain in my ass.

In other news, it seems as though a lot of writers are comedians. They're just so funny! But i guess you have to be when you're writing for conan or steve carrell. I say, if this whole strike thing doesn't go well for them, they may be able to find some work in stand up. Maybe? Maybe? Bueller?

Oh joy oh happiness! Who would've ever thought I'd be this excited over email? Just found out that hotmail fixed their bug on reply emails. Before when you reply to an email, it was a block of garbage that no one can sort out. Now it is legibly formatted, much to my relief. I didn't want to have to give up my hotmail account over something silly like formatting! Now if only they would fix my send and receive time. It is currently 8 hours ahead of real time. I've tried looking into settings. Perhaps I have checked on the wrong time zone box? Nope. My emails are just 8 hours into the future. Annoying, but idealogically cool.

Punctuation is a funny thing. It can say so much without actually saying anything at all. See, i could've ended that last sentence with an (!) to further extend my excitement on punctuations, but instead I ended it with a (.), carrying an air of nonchalant coolness, as though I had my nose in the air while holding an extraordinarily long cigarette. AND THEN I CAN DO THIS AND TO YOU IT MAY SEEM LIKE I'M SHOUTING AT YOU, even though, all the while, I could've accidentally hit the CAPS lock. Or, I can type, OMG, MYOB, INBD! And you will know what I am trying to say. Well, some of you. Hahaha. The evolution of the written word these days amazes me to no end.

In other news, stayed home from work today to find that daytime TV is still just as bad as I remembered. Except now, it is even worse! With the writers on strike, Ellen is not so funny anymore. But then again, I've never found her THAT funny...so maybe she doesn't need writers after all? Also realized that the weather woman on kcal 9 has an enormous rack. I mean they're gargantuan!! They're never gratuitously displayed, in fact I think they're almost always covered, but they are still huge! Boy o boy.

Oh I also called in today to cancel my identiy-monitor membership, only to be talked out of it by the operator. Boy, he was slick. So I called back after I checked some information out, only to get a incoherent operator who just did not respond to my several "hello? hellos?" even though I could hear noise in the background. And then I think another woman took over, mumbled an entire paragraph into the phone which I couldn't understand, due to her mouth being too close to the phone or her not articulating certain words correctly, or SOMETHING! In any case...I think I succeeded. I think.

That's all for today.

Hello everyone! I'd like you all to welcome Tess to the blogging circle. She's my first fashion/crafts/cool stuff blog. I'm so excited! I'm awaiting all the cool stuff that she wants that she'll introduce to us in the future. Huzzah! Find her link on your left.

Currently: debating whether to call in sick tomorrow. Body aches, head hurts, warm face, and I'm constantly craving ice cream. Yup, I'm sick.

And you see, its not like I don't like christmas. In fact, I have the charlie brown christmas album, and the chipmunks christmas album! (well, more like on tape) It's just that I'd rather people give each holiday their due time and space, and not rush into things. But it's too late.

I've been pondering whether or not to start posting pictures up on my blog. Would be nice to see some pictures, like my martha stewart flowers i made for the shower. And my polka dot dress wore to said shower. Or the twice worn red hooker heels I have that are oh so uncomfortable but look oh sooo chic. Or the new BLACK** music stand with new magical books. But it's such a hassle to load them from the camera and post. Oh what to do. Be less lazy I guess, and more proactive? Nah.

**Forgot to blog about the new music stand that only vonne may appreciate. So i got a new music stand. And it is black. And I am crazy about it. Y'see, ever since I was a kid, all I had were those silver cheapo looking music stands. They like to shout obscenities like "student!" or "beginner!" or "lame-o" at me when I look their way. But no more! I recently haven't been able to find my old silver stand. (hmm...gee...too bad.) So i got a new one. My new music stand is still the cheapo kind, but now in BLACK! Now it whispers "sexy" and "oh mama" when I give it the come hither look. And then I drive it crazy by making it hold my new sexy books of Positions on it. Boy, wait til I get to those 9th positions. My stand will just self collapse and fall to the floor. I can't wait. It's going to be grand.

Maybe that'll be the first picture I post? ;-)

Yesterday I heard my first christmas song in a store. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! Let us have thankgiving people!! I was so mad I almost grabbed the store clerk next to me by the collar to ask "Why? WHY??? Why now, on November 3rd?" But I didn't want to get kicked out. But really, I almost turned to her and said, "Seriously? SERIOUSLY??" Then i realized, she probably has no control over what the store plays. It's not her fault. Besides, this song wasn't one of those blantantly obvious christmas songs. It was one of those peripherals ones, only slightly alluding to the holiday. So i took a deep breath, and let it go. Could've been a fluke. After that a hip hop song played. That's more like it, I thought. Even though I hate this song, its still better than christmas in november. I silently apologized to the store clerk in my head, for what I almost would've done. So i continued my shopping, having forgotten about the whole debacle, when BAM! On comes another christmas song. This time, one of those BLATANTLY OBVIOUS ones. Ooooh, they are sneaky like that, trying to hide amongst the hip hop and top 40. Who the hell do these christmas songs think they are?!??!?!

Ok. Deep breath.

So i recently watched Swingers. I know, I know, i'm like a decade too late on the swinger craze. In my defense, I tried to watch it when it first came out on video, but after 20min, me and the bf at the time had to turn it off. We were just so bored. Plus we were naive kids in OC, unaware to the culture on the other side of the curtain. But now, living in LA, especially in the city, and after everyone always making references to it, I decided to pick it up again and give it a second shot. Not too bad i'd have to say. A little too much talky talky but it had some good moments, and good lines. I would've loved to have known Los Feliz before it was invaded by hipsters though. That would've been nice. Oh well, c'est la vie.

Oh, and only in LA would you see 2 guys underneath a junkie, messy, but colorful freeway overpass on an early saturday morning. One smiling dashingly while the other took pictures of that dashing smile with a very expensive looking camera. I'm not hip with it, but didn't someone tell me that headshots are obsolete now because they never look like the real person (it's true, they never do)? But then again, i guess they'll never die out, people will always like to look pretty on paper and have hundreds of copies of them. I know i do.

And only in LA do you hear conversations about "that show getting picked up" at starbucks.

The P's and GP's are here, gotta run!

In the background: It's the great pumpkin Charlie Brown! I love charlie brown. I can totally relate.

Last night at the grocery store: stuffing for turkey.
Tonight at Target: Christmas and Hanukkah on the shelves.

What is wrong with these people? Can't we just have each holiday in peace? Without all the other holidays creeping in, trying to take over? Good grief Charlie Brown.

Today I learned that the Intern might go to the playboy mansion tomorrow, but she might not, she's already been there twice. Zut! The closest i'll ever come to the playboy mansion is to watch Weezer's Beverly Hills video.

Crap. Just saw a commerical for Shrek the Halls. Shrek and Christmas. Geez louise my knees and honeybees. Let the craziness begin.

So the wedding is finally over. Whew. What a whirlwind. Have yet to see pictures, didn't have time to get my hair done. What was suppose to be a great "do" turned out to be just a pony tail. Phooey.

Haha. Charlie Brown just got a rock.

Ok, too many things going on. Must go download some pictures now. Be back later with more coherent intelligence.

OH! How i love the sweet smell of a violin shoppe. I'm not quite sure what the smell is, probably wood polisher...but ahhhhh, it is so sweet. Or maybe i'm just getting high off the toxic fumes, who knows. This morning I took a field trip to metzler to hunt down these books someone in orchestra had recommended. I have this fantasy that once I master these two books, I will be THE GREATEST VIOLIN PLAYER EVERRRRR!!! And I mean, EVERRRRR!!!! OF ALL TIMEEE!

Volume 1, third and fifth positions. I should have these down by now but, what do you know, I don't! Volume 2, second fourth sixth and seventh positions. Seven? I didn't even know positions go up that high. It's all squeaky eek eek eeks after fifth for me. Ha. But I realized the reason I'm always so timid with my playing is that I don't really know my positions. I half learned them way back when, never really mastered them. So now's my chance. Wait for my comeback people! It's gonna be great! Ah...new books.

And yes, i realize all this probably means nothing for most of you, except maybe vonne and christine. And....they're both currently in nyc. Hope you're having fun vonnie!

I'm off to sniff some polisher...

Holy Crap!

2.5 months later am I only realizing that I've forgotten about my own anniversary. My own 6 year anniversary! I can't believe it. The thought didn't even come up. Not even close. I'm sorry blog. I've been doing shitty things like this to you lately. I know I've apologized before. But happy belated birthday anyways. At least we celebrated your 500th post with cake and ice cream.

What? We didn't?!?

Well. Well I'll just have to go make that up to you right now!

I am in love with aphorisms! And more specifically, chiasmus. This is a wonderful exciting discovery which i hope to share more of in the future. It's so fitting for a blog, too. Perhaps one day, I'll be able to communicate solely through aphorisms, like how people communicate with their hands. I'll be spitting them out one after another. That would be awesome. For now, I am just a young grasshopper, learning the ways of aphorisms.

Wow, my 500th post. If this was a TV show, you'd be watching the cast cutting an enormous cake while the credits rolled right now. I've always wondered if there was enough cake for the audience to have a piece too. But the credits never rolled long enough for me to find out.

So this is not a TV show. It is just my blog. Read by an audience of less than 10, but more like 4. So thanks for being here. If i had cake, there would be enough for y'all.

There's so much I want to write about tonight, to get out of my system. But it's really hard for me to expose myself on a blog such as this. Also the reason why this is not a TV show. Though, some of the things that go on in my head makes for good TV. At least I think so. And you've been privy to it. Just read the archives.

Instead, I'll write about something I just thought of at this moment. Something I'm slapping my hand to my forehead for doing. Or rather, not doing. My friend steven moved away today. We've been trying to get together before he left, but it just didn't happen. I told myself to call him today, and the day happened and I totally forgot. And now he's gone. He's such a great guy and we've just kinda lost touch in the past year or so, but there were always the occasional emails or calls. We shared a love for pie and the bookstore. He had an infectious smile and bought shirts he never wore. He was one of the first friends I made when I came out here. Steven, I know you don't read this, but I'm sorry I'm such a bonehead. I'll miss you.

This month in my Working Mother magazine:

Get over your guilt: Why it's time to let go.

as well as

Catch it early: Is your daughter anorexic?


Egads. It's tough being a working mom.

It's beginning to get cold. Yesterday was the first day of fall, and what a beautiful day it was (or so it seemed from our 16th story windows). I love this time of year. I'm getting ready for my heavy blanket, warm sweaters, and hot soupy ramen noodles. (Ok, who am i kidding, i eat that stuff year round. But it tastes better when its cold.)

Speaking of marshmallows: Mallomars. H introduced me to them at the C a few years ago, when she came back from her trip to NY. Back then, I ate in wonder at this cookie that was so befitting of me. So I took another. And another. I've recently forgotten about them until about a week ago. And suddenly I'm having this craving. I don't know why they only sell these on the east coast. Maybe the warmer weather here makes for unsatisfactory marshmallow conditions? But still. There's ways around it. I know you can get them online, but I need a local store where I can just walk in any day and get my fix. I told H about my craving, and that it was her fault because she introduced them to me, like some sort of drug pusher doing business. She laughed and said her mom will send some. Oh happiness. I cannot wait. Next time I go to the east coast, I will leave as myself, but return as a mule...A MULE OF MALLOMARS. muahahaha.

Now the thing I'm not sure about is whether they're all over the east coast, or just in NYC, where H got them, or maybe in select states of the west coast as well? Would they be available in Dallas? Chicago? Seattle? Miami? Beuller? Beuller? I need to do some more research, but your help is kindly appreciated.

Anyone know where I can find a mini skulls and bones patch?

I have a hole in my shoes. My very simple, black canvas flats that I got from target 2 years ago. The left shoe has a hole right where my pinky toe is, so very often, my pinky likes to peep out for some sun. I really like these simple shoes and I don't think its quite their time to go yet. But at the same time, everyone also likes to point out that i have a hole in my shoe, plus its probably not work appropriate now with the hole. Many have already told me, "Those are very basic shoes, I bet you can find them anywhere." Wrong people, wrong! I cannot find them anywhere. They were so last last season.

Which is why I think a mini patch would do just the trick. But it can't be any patch. It has to be the right patch. It has to be skull and bones.

I was just at the grocery store, where this lady approached me out of nowhere, and asked me if I would like to get my fortune read, as she had picked up good energy from me. Now, she wasn't just soliciting everyone, she was actually grocery shopping with what seemed like her mother, and while she waited for her mother, I happened to walk by her, and that's when she asked me. I said no thank you, though as i walked away i wondered if she really did pick up good energy, or if it was just some pickup line she uses on all her potential clients? And, if i didn't possess this so called "good energy," would she still have wanted to read my fortune? Who knows.

Lately, I've been wondering about the outside life. As in, life outside the entertainment industry. I'm always curious as to how people outside of this industry spend their weekends, or in their spare time. Aside from the regular 9-5 job, it seems like everyone in LA always has some project they're working on. Whether its their latest script, that short film to edit, preparation for the next short, acting class, band practice, orchestra rehearsal, singing lessons, dance class....on and on and on. Like today, I drove by these three kids (ok, not kids, they're like my age) on the sidewalk, with a very fancy camera in hand, probably shooting some comedy. They're working on a sunday, like most of us do. So, let's say I was a dentist in Kentucky. Imagine all the free time I'd have on the weekends!

No no, I take that back, I guess its not true. I guess it's not just us here in this industry, everyone has some sort of side project they're perpetually working on. Takes away from the lull of the work week, I guess. I don't know what I was thinking.

I guess I was just thinking about how nice it would be to lounge around on the weekends and do whatever I want. And yes, I'm free to do that. In fact, from time to time, i DO do that. But how nice would it be to be able to do that without having this constant nagging feeling in the back of my head telling me: what are you doing lounging about when you have x, y, z to do??? But that probably goes for everyone, eh?

I'm giving myself 15 min. of blog time before i set off to engulf myself in a few hours of work.

I don't know what it is with me and cravings. When I crave something, I must have it right away. I crave lemon bars, so I make them. I had the sudden urge to watch this movie I loaned to a friend, so I had him bring it back. I had a craving for pho, so I had pho. If i have an idea for an art project, I must start it right away, even though its 10pm and all the supply stores are closed. I guess I just need instant gratification?

This morning, I got out of my car and saw a couple walking towards me, holding hands. I suddenly had an urge to have my hand held. Whenever I read people write about this or that "wave" of something "washing over them," I always think, yes yes yes, blah blah blah you crazy writer, just get to the point. Ok, now I get the point. I apologize to all crazy writers with waves. This morning when I saw the couple, I felt the "wave" of something "wash over me." It was a longing to have my hand held, nothing more, nothing less. I could've just walked up to them, and put my hand into his, or hers. But then that would've been weird, right?

Currently: sudden case of the sniffles.

Just had to get up and get a tissue after that sentence. Hopefully these sniffles are just on holiday in my nose, and will be on their merry way again soon. Hopefully by tomorrow. By the time i wake up. You hear that sniffles!!

The apartment is in a state of shambles from a week of neglect, and a prior week's full of stuff in preparation for a shower. Stuff will hopefully be returned to their proper origins this weekend.

I received a phone book in front of my door two days ago. Came at a weird time since C had just recently asked, "Who uses phone books anymore when there's the internet?" To which I replied, "Lots of people! Especially for businesses, like when you're at the dentist and you want a pizza..." Shortly thereafter, I realized that perhaps not many people have the sudden urge to order pizza when they're at the dentist. They're most likely to do so when they get home.

So fast forward a week, and I get this phone book on my door step. One with the same information I can get on google. One that, along with its brothers and sisters, could have saved an entire forest of trees. So I'm left with a dilemma. Trash the freshly printed, unopened, still-in-plastic-bag (again! useless packaging!), already-killed-a-tree book that I'm never going to use again? Or keep it around so at least this already made useless thing of a book can feel like it had some sort of purpose? Perhaps I'll have small guests over someday that will need to sit on one. Perhaps my world will befall on some disaster where the only way to keep warm will be to burn things. Or my internet will be down one day and I'll really need to order pizza. Actually, no, I never order pizza. Sigh, what to do?

After throwing this bridal shower, I've come to the realization that I may turn out to be one of those evil brides if I ever plan my own wedding. I was easily agitated, tired from running to this store and that store, and stressed out all week. The pimples on my face are still around, laughing in my face...that is, MY face, that surface which they are currently so attached to, and have been all week. Thus, no wedding. Simple!

Over the weekend I had my first encounter of: "When's it your turn?" Ugh. I wanted to punch him. But it came from my older cousin. So I wouldn't have gotten away with it. Had to do the polite, haha-laugh-it-off bit. I feel as though that will get old real soon. Reeeeeal soon. As in, it's already old. Puh-lease. Just save me from kicking you in the face, and don't ask me such questions.